


This Is It

by Identiaetslos



Series: Alex Ryder Story Arcs [10]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst, F/F, Heartbreak, Naked Characters, RIP My Heart Out Please Ladies, Romance, Sladdison, Sometimes the one you love is the one you least expect, Y'all I might have to do a follow up to this one
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 19:16:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14858682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Identiaetslos/pseuds/Identiaetslos
Summary: Sloane Kelly and Foster Addison share one final morning together.Prompt: Morning





	This Is It

Caffeine was the last thing that Foster Addison should be drinking at this hour, but it was the only thing that kept her from drooling on her desk. Having turned away the allure of diesel powered Nexus Brew, Foster had settled on a warm cup of Earl Grey made from leaves freshly harvested from downstairs. It smelled as good as the original, but the taste was far smoother than what she remembered and it would go nicely with her valiant attempt at porridge.

Taking a bite, she decided it didn’t taste horrible, but made a mental note to try and scare up something to make it taste like...well, something. No matter, she was hungry and had been saving her appetite all day for this moment.

Making a mental note to commend the Hydroponics staff for their hard work on the delicious tea, she sat at her computer terminal and scared away the 03:03 staring back at her and called up a private communications channel. 

A deep breath and a glance around her otherwise dark, empty flat confirmed that yes, no one else was in here and it was safe to initiate the transmission.

Instantly, the display was changed to a grumpy-looking, shirtless Sloane Kelly sitting at her desk, the orange sunlight of the Kadara day waning as the planet ventured into night.

“About bloody time,” the former Nexus Security Director grumbled, sitting back in her chair, allowing Foster a complete view of her naked, tattooed chest.

Addison sighed and rubbed the side of her face. “I suppose it’s too much to ask for you to wear a shirt.”

“Don’t tell me you’re finally offended by my tits, Ms. Seagull Bathrobe,” Sloane quipped and then stood so that Foster had a good view of the muscles along her abdomen and the dark ink of what looked like a bird, she stretched and flexed in an obvious attempt to entice the Director of Colonial Affairs, who feigned to herself, alone in her darkness that Sloane was a miserable failure in that.

“Finally got the basics done. Next time we talk, it should be fully colored in.” Sloane said, sitting back down.

“Why didn’t you do it today?” Addison asked, sipping her tea in an attempt to hide any betrayal on her face that she had been enjoying the idea of Sloane playing for her.

“As advanced as medicine is, even living in this dump, it still hurts. So my shirt off is not for your benefit.” Sloane replied in her usual dry sarcasm. Reaching somewhere off camera Sloane grabbed what looked like a dinner roll with a slice of meat on it and ate.

“What are you eating today?” Addison asked, eyeing her porridge with disappointment.

“Something that Alex showed me the last time she was here. Apparently, her chef has managed to do make the animals around here taste like food and not kill us. It’s not a steak by any means, but better than the shit we had before,” Sloane drank what looked like water, dribbling some on her bare chest. “Bugger...” she grabbed her shirt and wiped herself.

“Charming as ever,” Addison grumbled and forced some of her porridge down.

Sloane made a kissy face at the screen. “Whatever you have looks disgusting. Did you just puke that into the bowl?”

Addison made a face. “I might as well have.”

Sloane skewed her lips. “Come by sometime, maybe I’ll show you a few things we’ve learned or um--” she stopped herself and quickly stuffed more food into her mouth.

The unexpected cuteness brought a half-smile to Foster’s face and she ate more. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to. The Moshae is to be our liaison to Kadara...and yours to the Nexus. Maybe the next time the Tempest or one of the other Pathfinders go through...” her voice drifted off, trying to work out the logistics of being able to leave the Nexus undetected while, at the same time, concealing the fact she would be headed to Kadara Port.

“And yet we’re talking.” Sloane said, folding her hands across her bare stomach. She looked troubled a moment and then as though she swallowed something that she didn’t want to feel. “Forget I asked.”

“We could always meet on Meridian.” Foster offered.

Sloane snorted out her incredulity. “Because no one would notice us always in the same place at the same time. Alex knows, Keri knows, Kesh, half my security team on your station, half my people here probably do too. It’s only a matter of time when this will begin to hurt. All it takes is for someone to get wise about you leaving the station; I remind you that you fuckers decided it would be a great idea not to arm any of the scout ships. And well...someone’s already taken a shot at me, and he’s still out there.”

Addison’s face fell and she placed her hand on the screen. “What were we thinking?” She sighed.

“I think that was the last thing we were doing,” Sloane replied with a laugh meant to disguise a growing sadness. She blinked several times and reached somewhere behind the screen and turned up the light on her desk, warming the dark skin of her chest in a low amber light that reminded Foster instantly of times that she reserved space in her heart for only when she was near Sloane.

Judging by the softness around the edges of the former Security Director’s normally hardened exterior, she was having similar thoughts. “You going to read me a story as usual?” She ventured, dipping her head so the growing shadows hid what Addison knew to be Sloane’s equivalent of a blush. It was a poor attempt at concealment, but for once, Foster didn’t feel like taking a cheap shot at her.

“Only if you read me one,” she retorted, letting herself loose through a smile that only made Sloane roll her deep, heterochromatic eyes.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Sloane quipped, waving her own datapad. 

Addison produced a datapad from the pocket of her seagull patterned bathrobe and began to read her report on Initiative progress just as she did every week, glancing up at the Outcast leader as she sat back in her chair and listened. Words escaped her lips absently as she imagined herself wrapped up in those meaty, heroic arms on the tattered sofa in that broken, appropriated office like old times. She missed the way Sloane smelled, the way she felt; those saccharine kisses veiled behind a facade of begrudging sarcasm meant only for people she truly cared about.

Unlike other weeks, a sadness loomed, glittered behind tears that betrayed their owners as she struggled to draw out today before the inevitable.

Finishing her own report on Kadara’s progress, Sloane set the datapad down and looked ashen. “I suppose with the Moshae taking over duties between me and the Nexus...” her voice trailed off. “How long do you want this to go?”

Foster let out a slow sigh. She had been anticipating this question ever since Ryder had unlocked Meridian; Sloane was technically the administrator of an Angaran world. Even though human and representing a handful of Exiles, she wasn’t as autonomous as she’d liked her to be, or even Foster thought of her as.

Sitting here in the dark was risky. Sloane was still a criminal in the eyes of Director Tann and half of the Initiative. Now that Foster had gotten her wish and could quietly retreat into the shadows while she focused more on running her colonies, or any new colonies that Ryder managed to establish, there was little reason for her to contact Sloane let alone leave the station. On top of that, there was still a lot of work to do, and for both of them.

She felt torn. Pride said she could always drop trouble in a moment’s notice, experience with all the tragedies had taught her how to quickly distance herself from anything that might compromise her objectivity, and this woman on the other side of the screen, who avoided looking at her, had taught her how foolish it was to lie. Especially to herself. The girl underneath all of that Pride was afraid of what Andromeda would actually look like without Sloane to keep her on her toes...or sometimes just be a shoulder. She wanted to feel nothing, and Sloane’s eyes told her she wanted to feel nothing too. It would be easier. Safer. Thousands of lives depended on both of them.

It had been fun, but now was still not the time to be selfish.

“Maybe it’s best that we end this before we really wind up doing something stupid.” Sloane was solemn, looked away from the screen.

Foster didn’t blame her. The hurt hidden behind the dark scowl on the even brow if the Outcast leader mirrored the ache in her own heart. As always, she was right. Better to end it now before whatever it was she was now feeling made it impossible to turn back. She nodded as she emptied her heart. “Yeah...” she said, finding that she was unable to offer any more meaningful words.

Blinking several times once more, Sloane nodded her head in return. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

Before Foster could say anything, stop her or something, Sloane reached over and switched off the transmission.

That was it.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, maybe it won't be the final morning for them. I can't do this to them *sobbing*


End file.
